1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a dispensing bottle permitting a controlled and optionally metered dispensing of its contents while offering a comfortable grip. Moreover, the bottle may be provided with a sealing system which prevents degradation, in particular by air, of the product during its storage and/or between uses.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the pharmaceutical or cosmetic field, gels and creams are usually stored in pots provided with a simple lip and are taken up by dipping the finger directly in the pot. This practice has two drawbacks, i.e., microbial contamination introduced into the stored product, and the lack of precise metering of the product.
The use of a dropper bottle for metered dispensing of a liquid product is known. A dropper bottle usually comprises a reservoir having a squeezable bulb at one of its ends and a constricted opening at the other end. Air is expelled from the reservoir by actuating the bulb, the end having the constricted opening is immersed in a bottle containing the product to be metered, and the product enters the reservoir upon relaxation of the bulb. The product is subsequently dispensed by actuating the bulb.
Such dropper bottle systems are not suitable for the dispensing of products with a creamy consistency such as gels, or viscous products in general. Indeed, products of this consistency can only rise with difficulty through the constrictor, since air bubbles are drawn into the reservoir at the same time as the product, and a proportion of the product inevitably remains stuck on the outer wall of the dropper bottle. Moreover, with each use of the dropper bottle it must be assumed that the bottle has previously been opened, and hence that the product has been placed into contact with the oxygen of the air.
Bottles with deformable walls and a constricting end are also known, offering a metered dispensing of the contained product by simple pressure on the walls. These bottles, being manually compressed, have the drawback that they do not afford very precise dosing. Moreover, since their walls are deformable, they can only be carried in luggage with certain precautions, i.e., being protected from pressure and shocks. Although the addition of a leakproof closing system to the constrictor makes it possible to avoid accidental leakages, there still remains the risk of the walls of the bottle yielding under unduly high pressure. Furthermore, such bottles tend to become deformed in the course of time, in particular to keep the concave shape imparted by the manual pressure. The deformable plastic materials of which these bottles are made are not suitable for the packaging of luxury products for which more rigid materials are preferred. Moreover, the expensive products are dispensed in small quantities, and it is not known how to make bottles of a small size with deformable walls and offering a complete return of excess dispensed product.
For example, devices are known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,145,879, FR-A-733446, FR-A-1248664, FR-A-2411140, FR-A-1164796 and FR-A-771150 which comprise a reservoir cavity filled by a product to be dispensed, one end of the cavity comprising a pressure-increasing means, the other a braking system. However, none of these documents mentions any sealing device for single or semi-permanent use.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,305 there is known a sealing device for single use applied to the top of the neck of a bottle. This device consists of an aluminum foil cover and a tip which can pierce this cover foil before the first use. However, this document does not suggest in any way the use of such a device in any application other than on the neck of a bottle.
FR-A-2656240 describes a semipermanent sealing device for the filling and dispensing a product contained in a reservoir formed by a flexible pouch. This document neither describes nor suggests the application of such a device to an application other than the filling and dispensing from a reservoir.
It is an object of the invention to provide a bottle with a rigidity allowing easy manipulation, provided with a dispensing system which permits a controlled dispensing, and optionally a precise dosing, of the product containing therein, irrespective of the viscosity of the product, while ensuring preservation of the product over time.
The above and other objects are achieved according to the invention by a bottle comprising a reservoir body containing a product and provided with at least two openings, the first (P) of these openings being provided with a pressure-increasing means, and the second opening (R) being provided with means for braking and retaining the product.
The product to be dispensed may be a paste, a cream, a gel, a liquid, loose powder, and generally any Galenic form, with the exception of a compact solid.
Preferably, the body of the bottle is chosen to have a sufficient rigidity so as not to be deformed under normal manual pressure in the usual conditions of use. For this purpose, a naturally rigid material is used as, for instance, glass or aluminum. It is also possible to use thermoplastic materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, or copolymers of ethylene, of propylene, and/or of styrene, these materials having sufficient thicknesses to give them the desired rigidity.
A rigid bottle can also be made by means of a more flexible material, if this bottle is small and has angular shapes. Thus the product contained in the reservoir included in the body of the bottle cannot flow out under the effect of any accidental pressure exerted on the body of the bottle.
In the absence of pressure-increasing means and braking and retaining means provided by the present invention, rigid bottles, irrespective of the reason for their rigidity, usually do not permit a proper emptying of their contents.
During the packaging of the bottle, the product is introduced into the container body. The braking and retaining means, which is chosen according to the nature of the product, prevents the product from emerging from the bottle in the absence of pressure.
According to another aspect of the invention, the bottle comprises a body forming a reservoir in which there is stored a product, a pressure-increasing means, a means for fixing the pressure-increasing means on the first opening P of the reservoir ending in a neck, and optionally a cover cap CR, the cover cap CR cooperating with the second end of the bottle where the constrictor is placed.
The invention more particularly concerns fluid products such as lotions, in particular milks and shampoos, gels, creams, foams, the dispensing of which is intended to be controlled. This invention concerns, in particular, cosmetic or therapeutic use and, as a general rule, products of a high price and where it is desirable to prevent wastage. The bottles in accordance with the invention permit a controlled dispensing, and optionally metering, of such products.
In accordance with the invention, the unit constituted by the body, by the means for fixing the neck, and by the pressure-increasing means is provided with a sealing device which ensures that the contents of the reservoir do not come into contact with air during the whole duration of storage, and possibly even between two successive uses. Moreover, the bottles in accordance with the invention prohibit any direct contact between the manipulator and the inside of the reservoir. Thus the risks of microbial contamination are extremely limited. The sealing device may be constituted by the pressure-increasing means, by the first end P of the bottle and by the fixing means, and comprises at least one sealing means for single or semipermanent use.
Such a sealing means for single use which can be used in the present invention consists, for example, of a tearable or pierceable obturating cover which, during the first use, is pierced or torn by actuation of the pressure-increasing means. This obturating cover is, for example, constituted by an aluminum foil or by a polyethylene film, or is made of any other material that can be easily torn. The pressure-increasing means is provided with a striker which pierces or tears the cover when pressure is applied to the pressure-increasing means.
A ball, not secured to the pressure-increasing means, may also be placed into the space provided between the cover and the pressure-increasing means, and may come to bear on the cover and tear it when pressure is applied to the pressure-increasing means. This cover may be fixed in any way to the pressure-increasing means, to the neck of the bottle, to the fixing means or to the bonding or welding means which hold the parts fixed to one another. Moreover, the cover must advantageously be made of a material which is impermeable to air and to the constituents of the formula, so as to prevent the formula from migrating out of the reservoir during storage; this material must, moreover, be chemically inert in relation to the formula used.
Such semipermanent sealing means may be constituted by a fixing device which has two positions, i.e., an open position and a closed position, and which can be actuated by a simple movement. Advantageously, such a device is constituted by at least two parts joined and secured, one to the neck of the bottle, and the other to the pressure-increasing means. These two parts may be placed in two different relative positions by a straightforward movement of one of these parts. In one of these two positions, a passage or duct traversing the fixing means causes the pressure-increasing means to communicate with the reservoir. In the other position, this passage or duct no longer exists, or it is obturated, and the seal between the pressure-increasing means and the reservoir is leakproof. Such sealing means, well known to those skilled in this art, are operated for an opening or closing movement by rotation, or by vertical, horizontal or lateral displacement, or by rocking.
The sealing device may also comprise a membrane permeable to air and impermeable to liquid, which prevents the product from rising up as far as the pressure-increasing means.
The neck of the bottle at the end having the first opening P may comprise a constricted part so as to limit the possibility of the product rising up as far as the pressure-increasing means. For example, the pressure-increasing means and the reservoir may communicate by a narrow duct such as a capillary duct.
Preferably, the capacity of the pressure-increasing means is smaller than the volume of the bottle. Thus the product can be dispensed in a controlled manner. Usually, the capacity of the pressure-increasing means is chosen in the range of from 0.1 ml to 5 ml. Preferably, the capacity of the pressure-increasing means ranges from 0.2% to 25% of the volume of the bottle. Thus it is not likely that high pressures which could entail a heavy discharge from the bottle will be accidentally exerted on the pressure-increasing means. The capacity of the pressure-increasing means is adjusted according to the rheology, in particular the viscosity, of the product and the usual dose used for this product, as is known in the art.
Preferably, the pressure-increasing means is formed by a bulb of an elastomeric material, a piston, or a bellows connected to the first opening P by means of a conventional fixing means, e.g., by catch-engagement or by screwing. If the pressure-increasing means is formed by a bulb, it may be of any shape. Optionally, the pressure-increasing means may be surmounted by a push button made of a rigid material.
Preferably, the unit constituted by the pressure-increasing means, the fixing means and the neck is partly encapsulated in a rigid part. This encapsulation makes it possible to partly protect the pressure-increasing means from shocks; it affords a better seal for the fixing of the pressure-increasing means on the neck of the body, as well as a better grip of the dispensing bottle. This encapsulation may be obtained by any conventional means, e.g., by overmolding (composite molding) the rigid part around the unit constituted by the pressure-increasing means, the fixing means and the neck.
The rigid part is constituted of any rigid material, e.g., a thermoplastic material such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and the copolymers of ethylene, propylene and/or of styrene. These materials are used with sufficient thicknesses to give them the desired rigidity.
Optionally, the rigid part and the elastomeric bulb may be molded as a single piece of thermoplastic material whose thickness varies according to the desired rigidity. The rigid part may also be constituted by two distinct parts, which are assembled around the unit constituted by the pressure-increasing means, by the fixing means and by the neck, by screwing, or by catch-engagement, or by bonding, or by any other conventional means.
Optionally, the part made of a rigid material may have a lid for protecting the pressure-increasing means.
When the pressure-increasing means is partly encapsulated in the rigid part, the encapsulation is obtained in such a way that the pressure-increasing means is disposed inside a hollow cavity arranged in the rigid part, and that the pressure-increasing means is even with the surface of the rigid part, or that it is substantially recessed relative to this surface. Thus when the user is holding the bottle in his hand, he must intentionally reach the pressure-increasing means with his finger and does not risk actuating it in error. Moreover, the advantageous rigid nature of the bottle unit permits a good grip by the user. When the bottle is placed inside luggage, the rigid part protects the pressure-increasing means and prevents the latter from being actuated accidentally.
According to a variant of the invention, the bottle can be provided with two pressure means placed symmetrically relative to the first opening P in order to facilitate the manipulation of the bottle. This variant makes it possible to exert simultaneous pressure with the thumb on one side and with another finger, preferably the index finger of the same hand, on the other side of the bottle and affords the user a good grip associated with very good control of the delivery.
The constrictor permitting the dispensing of the product is chosen according to the product to be dispensed. The diameter of its dispensing duct is chosen according to the rheology, and in particular the viscosity, of the product, so that in the absence of pressure on the pressure-increasing means the product does not spontaneously flow out through this duct.
Preferably, the constrictor has at its outlet inside the bottle, a retaining cell open towards the reservoir in such a way that some of the product is retained inside this cell in the normal positions of use of the bottle (e.g., a vertical position with the constrictor disposed towards the bottom, a horizontal position, and any intermediate position). The inlet and the outlet of the constrictor are defined by the direction of flow of the product. This retaining cell may, for example, be constituted by the walls of the constrictor if, in relation to the viscosity of the product, the constructor has sufficient length relative to its width to ensure a good retention, or by a duct extending in the reservoir which extends the walls of the constrictor. It may also be formed by an annular flange at the inlet of the cell.
The retaining cell makes it possible to keep a small quantity of the product available for immediate dispensing, even if the bottle has been stored in a position other than with the constrictor at the bottom. This reserve quantity, if of sufficient height, makes it possible to prevent the passing of air contained in the reservoir through the product when the pressure-increasing means is actuated. Finally, the retaining cell permits a better draining of the contents of the bottle.
The constrictor and the body of the bottle may constitute only a single part with the constrictor forming the extension of the bottle, but they may also consist of two parts with the constrictor being screwed or clipped in a leakproof manner onto the mouth of the bottle. At the dispensing end of the constrictor there may be located an obturator means which obturates the constrictor in the absence of pressure and folds under the thrust of the product. The obturator may consist of an elastic lip or an elastic valve whose flanges diverge under the pressure of the product. Such a valve consists of a flat or circular nozzle made of an elastomeric material, one end of which is slipped over the rigid end of the constrictor, and the other end is pierced by a wider or narrower opening which remains closed in the absence of pressure.
The constrictor may instead be obturated by a flat deformable gasket placed at the bottom of the cover cap. The constrictor may also be obturated in a leakproof manner by a service cap system forming part of the cover cap. Moreover, the outlet end of the constrictor may be provided with any means facilitating the dispensing of the product, e.g., an applicator made of foam, a massaging surface, a ball, a spatula or a brush.
According to a variant of the invention, the constrictor may comprise several ducts for the simultaneous dispensing of the product. Preferably, the constrictor has from one to three ducts.
The cover cap of the service cap may be fixed to the bottle or to the constrictor by any known, such as catch engagement, by screwing, by means of a bayonet fastener, etc.
As indicated above, the pressure-increasing means may be fixed to the neck of the bottle which ends in the first opening P by means of the fixing means. This fixing is preferably leakproof in such a way that pressure exerted on the pressure-increasing means is integrally retransmitted into the body of the bottle and is reflected in a flowing out of the product. The fixing of the pressure-increasing means on the neck may be ensured by the pressure-increasing means itself. For example, the pressure-increasing means may be extended in a skirt which has a profile complementary to the profile of the neck of the bottle. The fixing of the pressure-increasing means on the neck of the bottle may also be ensured by a rigid ring molded or not over the pressure-increasing means.
According to a variant of the invention, the lid of the rigid part may comprise a hinge and be molded as a single piece together with the rigid part, the pressure-increasing means being fixed to the lid by any known means. Moreover, the pressure-increasing means may also be molded as a single piece with the lid of the rigid part.
Preferably, the bottle comprises an air restoring or venting means. Thus air return to the inside of the bottle after use may be effected through the constrictor, for example, by means of a cap capable of a renewed air intake. It may also be effected by the pressure-increasing means by means of a renewed air intake valve situated between the pressure-increasing means and the ambient air. The pressure-increasing means may also be provided with a hole which may be obturated by the finger for dispensing and which lets air pass when the finger is removed from the pressure-increasing means. In the case where the renewed air intake is not effected by means of the constrictor, the bottle is then provided with a non-return valve, for example at the neck or the fixing means, which prevents the product from again rising up as far as the pressure-increasing means.
The cover cap CR which closes the dispensing end (outlet) of the bottle has any shape. Preferably, this lid has a flat face which allows the bottle to be stored upside down. Thus, with the product descending by gravity into the mouth of the constrictor, the bottle is always ready for use.
The pressure-increasing means is placed anywhere on the top of the bottle or laterally relative to the bottle. When the pressure-increasing means is positioned at the top of the bottle, it may be placed coaxially with the constrictor or along an axis different from that of the constrictor.